During the COVID pandemic, people took up new hobbies: Bread baking. Painting. Knitting.
Tull faculty started a band.
During the lockdown, professor John Campbell watched the movie School of Rock with his kids. “They loved it,” he says, “so I bought a guitar, amp, bass guitar and drum set.” Campbell had a musical background that included playing lead guitar in a band during high school and singing with an a capella group in college.
“I sent a photo to the faculty of me playing guitar in my basement with a visiting speaker from the University of Toronto,” he recalls. “Frank Heflin saw a drum set in the background and told me he played, and we said at the same time, ‘Did we just start a band?’” They recruited Holley Schramski and PhD students Collin Rabe and Allison Hickey, and the Tull band was born.
For the first couple years, the band was known as The Grateful Debt, but many assumed they were a Grateful Dead cover band. So they renamed themselves Kicking Assets, thereby avoiding any confusion while keeping the accounting puns intact.
Keyboardist Schramski boasts a long and varied musical background. She played the oboe in middle school concert band, the tenor saxophone in high school marching band, was the high school chorus accompanist and sang in church choirs. Hickey was in choirs from elementary school through college and plays tambourine. Lead guitarist and back-up vocalist Collin Rabe studied jazz guitar in college and has played in several bands over the years.
Some members find time for other musical endeavors. Schramski is taking tenor saxophone lessons at the UGA Community Music School and was invited to join a community concert band, and in his rare spare time, Rabe records original compositions.
All members agree the best part of being in the band is simply the fun they have. “We play an eclectic set of songs spanning several decades and genres,” Rabe says, “and it’s always fun to analyze a new piece of music and gain a deeper appreciation of what makes it ‘work,’ whether it’s an uncommon chord progression, a memorable melody line or an infectious rhythmic groove.” Schramski enjoys learning new pieces as well as the process of making music. “We have a lot of fun and are constantly surprising ourselves,” she says. “My father always encouraged us to learn an instrument or a hobby and keep it going as we aged. Music is a wonderful hobby and a great way to relax and do something non-accounting!”
“The six of us have a lot of fun,” adds Heflin. “It’s such a great group of people. And I’ve been super impressed with how quickly the group has been able to pull together songs we haven’t played before,” he says.
The band has played the MAcc Student Association Bookkeeper’s Ball every spring since 2022. Most recently, they performed at a local Athens bar and are even willing to consider weddings — with priority given to Tull and Terry students and alums, of course.